Pressing machine



July 15 1924. 1501,685v E. E. P/RFR PREssING MAHINE Filed Sept. 11, 19163 Sheets-'Sheet l July 15,

v E. E. PARER PRESSING MACHINE Filed Sept. 11. 1916 3 Sheets-Sheet 2vmega July 15 ,1924. l 1,501,685

` E. E. PARKER PRESSING MACHINE 5 sheets-Sheet 5 Filed Sept. ll, 1916 (lHome/13S Patented July 15, 1924.

UNITED STATES PATENT oF-Flcs.

EVEBTT E. PARKER, OF CHICAGO, ILLINOIS, ASSIGNOR, B'YVMESNE ASSIGNMENTS,TO

IETBO'POLITANTRUST COMPANY, TRUSTEE, OF. NEW YORK, N. Y., A CORPORATIONor New Yoan.

rnnssING MACHINE.

Application led September 11, 1916. Serial Io. 119,489.

To all 'whom t may concern:

Be it known that I, EvnRETT E. PARKER, citizen of thevUnited States,residing at Chicago, in the county of Cook and State of Illinois, haveinvented certain new and useful Improvements in Pressing Machines, ofwhich the following isa specification.

This invention relates to pressing machines and more particularly tomachines for pressing garments, although capable of use for pressinfabrics of any kind.

The object o the invention is to provide an improved machine whichwithdraws -the steam, moistureland water of condensation from thegarment and from the fabric pads of the pressing members and therebyreduces the tendency of the pads to retain moisture, which more quicklydries the garment and prevents puckering of the seams, as would 'be thecase if4 the moisture were allowed lto evaporateslowly which acceleratesthe pressing o eration and enables the garment torbe safe y put on andworn imv mediate'ly after pressing; and which also prevents escape ofsteam and vapor into the room. A further object of the invention is .toprovide a machine of this kind in which the application of suction orvacuum for withdrawing the steam and moisture is automaticallycontrolled and requires no special attention or operation by theoperator, but iscaused or controlled by the normal operation ofl themachine itself so that said suction is effective at the proper and noother times.

Further objects of the invention are in part obvious and in partwillappear more in detail hereinafter.

In the drawings, which represent one em bodiment of the invention, Fig.1 is a side elevation showing the head elevated. Fig.

2 is a front elevation, partly in section,l

showing the head depressed. Fi 3 is a plan view of the up er' portion othe ma. chine; Fig. 4 is a dltail sectional view of the head on the line4 4, Fig. 3; Fig. 5 is a detail section on the line 5 5, Fig. l; andFi'g. 6 isa detail sectional view, on a larger scale, of the steamingvalve, and Fig, 7 is a side elevation, showing a modification.

The machine shown in the drawings comprises a suitable frame 1 near thefront of which is located 'a column 2 supporting the lower pressing,member or buck 3 and which is of common form, being provided with ahollow heating chamber 4 connected to a suitable source of steam supply,such as the pipe 4". The upper wall 5 of the heating chamber separatesit from a steaming cham-v ber 6 having a perforated up er plate 7 onwhich is laid the padding 8. team may be admitted to said chamber 6 anddischarged through the perforated plate 7 and distributed over andacross the'garment lying on the padding 'by opening a valve 9controlling one or more ports in the wall 10 between said chambers, saidvalve being operated by Ya rod 11 connected to a foot treadle 12 andbeing normally held to its seat by a spring 13.

At the back of the frame is a column 14 forming a support for the lever15, one arm ofwhich carries the upper pressing member or head 16balanced by a weight 17 on the otherarm. The head may be advanced ordepressed` into pressing relation with thel buck by any suitableoperating mechanism,

the drawings showing for this urpose two toggle links 18 connected by aink 19 to a lever 20 ivoted in the frame and connected by a lin 21 tothe foot treadle 22. The head is normally held elevated by the usualtension spring or springs 23.

The head is of substantially the same form as the buck, being provldedwith a heating chamber 24 communicating with a suitable source of steamsupply such as the inlet and outlet pipes 25, 26 which are provided withswivel'joints 27 on the axis of turning movement of the lever 15. Thebottom\wall 28 of the heating chamber is also the upper wall of aseparate suction chamber 29 having a bottom perforated plate 30 to whichthe padding 31 is applied. This chamber 29 communicates with a pipe 32which may be connected by branches to both as the fan or blower 35. iWhen thevalve is Y opened suction is elective in the chamber 29 anddraws into said chamber and out to the exhaust any steam or vaporbetween the head and 'buck or any moisture or vapor in. or on thegarment or the pads of the press# los 'ing members. Said valve ispreferably opened only when the steam supply is on or moisture ispresent. It may be operated by hand, if desired, but preferably iscontrolled or operated automatically so that the -suction is madeeffective whenever steam is supplied to the garment, thereby doing awaywith the necessity or the operator manipulating a separate device forproducing the suction effect. Said valve may lbe controlled or operatedby either the steam supply controlling devices or b the mechanism for oeratlngl the movab e press head. It is s own as provided with a valverod 36 connected by a clevis 37 to an arm 38 on one end of a shaft 39whose opposite end has an arm 40 with a toe 4l lymg beneath the foottreadle 22. A tension spring 42 normally holds the valve closed. v

In the upper position of the treadle 22 it is above the toe 41 andduring the early downward movement of the treadle to bring the head downto the garment on the buck said treadle has no effect upon the vacuumvalve. During the nal motion of the treaclle, however, it engages thetoe 41 and turns shaft 39, thereby opening the vacuum valve. Any steamwhich may be supplied to the garment or any .moisture on the garment orpadding is quickly withdrawn by the suction pump, thereby keeping thepads dry and drying the garment quickly before it puckers at the seamsand with the best pressing results. The garment may be safely put on andwor'n immediately after pressing. Moreover the steam and moisture do notescape to the atmosphere and will not affect the health of the operatoror injure the walls or furniture in the room. When the head operatinglever is released and moves upwardly the vacuum valve closes and cutsolf the suction without requiring any attention b the operator. Thevacuum is therefore e ective for short intervals when the flashes ofsteam are turned upon the garment and. does not aect the heating of thepressing head bythe steam supply to its heating chamber as will bereadily understood.

Fig. 7 shows a modified form of the invention in which the vacuum valveis operated by one ont the toggle links linstead of by the pressuretreadle. The pipe 43 communicates throughl the edge ont the head withthe vacuum chamber therein. Said pipe may be a flexible metallic hoseleading directly to the vacuum valve but is shown as passing toa swiveljoint 44 on the axis of swinging movement of the head. carrying lever,thence to the vacuum valve'45- and thence to the pump or fan 35. Thevalve has van operatin handle 46 normally moved to the position shown indotted lines by a sprin 47. When the press is opened one of t e togglelinks connected moines to the pivot 48 engages a toe 4`9 on the valvehandle and turns it to the position shown in ull lines, thereby closingthe valve 45, whereby the suction becomes in.- effective. When the-press is closed the handle 46' is released and spring 47 opens thevalve.

What I claim is:

l. A pressing machine, .comprisin relatively movable pressing members,eac provided with a foraminons pressing wall and an inner chambercommunicating with the atmosphere through the openings in said wall,means for supplying steam to the chamber in one of said members, meansfor producing suction in the chamber in the other member, means forproducinv relative pressing movement between sai members, and meansactuated by said membermoving means for rendering said suction soA Sliv

effective when said members are .in pressing relation witheach other.

2. In a pressing machine, a buck having a steam heated chamber and asteam 'distributing chamber, the latter chamber having an outlet forapplying steam to a arment on the buck, means for control 'ng theentrance of steam to the distributing chamber, and means movable aboutan axis at the rearof the buck and to and from the surface thereofwherebx air may be caused to How over said sur ace and a garmentthereon.

3. Ai pressing machine, comprisin relatively movable pressing members,eac provided with a foraminous pressing wall and an inner chambercommunicating with the latmosphere through the openings in said wall,means for supplying steamto the chamber in one of said members, meansfor producing suction in the chamber in the, other member, means forproducing relative pressing movement between said members, and meansactuated by said member-moving means for rendering said suctioneffective only when said members are in, pressing relation with eachother.

4. In a pressing machine, a buck having a steam heated chamber and asteam d istributing chamber, the latter-chamber having an outlet forapplying steam to a rment on. the buck, means for control 'ng theentrance of steam to the distributing chamber, and a hollow membermovable about an axis at the rear of the buck to and from the surfacethereof and through which air may be caused toilow over said surface anda garment thereon.

In testimony whereof I aiiiX my signature. l

H. A. Rrrrrm, Cms. H. NnroN.

